Pocket-ball-bearing door and hanger therefor.



PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

J. K. THOMA. POCKET BALL BEARING DOOR AND HANGER THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1902.

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.UNITED STATES Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES-K. THOMA, OF OOOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,544, dated December29, 1903.

Application filed November 26, 1902. Serial'llo. 132,903. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, JAMES KKTHOMA, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Cooperstown, in the county of Otsego and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ball-Bearing Doors andHangers Therefor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The purpose of my invention is particularly to provide a top and bottomball-bearing for sliding cased doors and a ball-bearing for the upperportion of hanging doors, such as barn or car doors, and to so confinethe balls that their travel on the door will be limited, while theirtraveling engagement with either the overhead or the lower track will beunobstructed.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a bottom track for theroller-bearing door so constructed that it will have a longitndinalcentral gutter for the lower balls, a gutter at each side of the centralgutter to receive dust and other foreign matter calculated to interferewith the action of the ballbearings, and longitudinal marginal flangesadapted for engagement one with a guide extension from the bottom of thedoor and the other for guided engagement with the weather-strip, and toprovide an effective threshold-strip in connection with the bottomtrack, forming, preferably, an integral portion of the track.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 isa vertical section through the casing for the improved door,the door appearing in sectional side elevation. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection through the door and casing, the section being taken practicallyon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of, theupper track and a protective hood for the sliding barn or car doortherein, shown partially in side elevation. Fig. 4: is a verticalsection taken practically on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is atrans- .tion of said grooves.

verse section through the bottom track for a door adapted to slide inacasing, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. l.

A represents a boxcasing, the jamb of which is designated as a, and theopening to be closed by the door B is that between the dotted line b andthe inner face of the jamb. The bottom track 0 for the door is used inconnection with the threshold strip C. In fact,these two parts may beintegrally formed, as illustrated.

The track 0 is constructed as is particularly illustrated in Fig. 5,being provided with longitudinal upwardly-extending ribs 10 and 11adjacent to its longitudinal edges, a central longitudinalbearing-section 12 in the upper face of the track, preferably ofconcaved formation, the side edges of which central bearing-section arebelow the plane of the upper edges of the ribs 10 and 11, and gutters 13between the central section 12 and the ribs 10 and 11, which gutters areadapted to receive any extraneous matter that may collect on the centralconcaved section 12 of the track, as ball-bearings, to be hereinafterdescribed, are to travel upon the said central section. In thethreshold-strip C the central concaved bearing-section is continued andis designated as 12 The gutters 13 are, however, omitted, as well as oneof the ribs, and the single rib employed is designatedas 11 and islocated near one longitudinal edge of the said threshold-strip, as isshown in Fig. 2, while in the opposing longitudinal edge of thethreshold-strip O a longitudinal recess 15 is produced, also shown inFig. 2.

The door B is provided at the top and bot tom with preferably anattached strip, which strips are respectively designated as 16 and 17.These strips extend from the front to the rear edges of the door, andeach strip 16 and 17 has a longitudinal dovetail groove 18 pro ducedtherein, extending from end to end of the strips. Balls 19, preferablyof metal, are located in the grooves 18, being prevented from droppingout therefrom between the ends of the grooves by reason of the forma-The balls are introduced into the grooves at their ends and extend outbeyond the strips 16 and 17 a suflicient distance to enable the lowerballs to rest IOO upon the central bearing-sections 12 and 12 in thetrack 0 and threshold-strip 0 when the door is in place and the upperballs to bear against a continuous track 0 at the upper portion of thecasing.

Short end divisions 20 and longer intermediate divisions 21 are formedin the dovetail grooves 18, each division containing, preferably, asingle ball, and these divisions 20 and 21 are produced by enteringscrews 22 into the bottom portions of the dovetail grooves, as is shownin Fig. 1. These screws are placed at desired intervals apart andtheirheads extend beyond the bottom of the grooves, while their threadedportions pass into the body of the door and hold the strips 16 and 17 to.the door.

It will be observed that the ball-bearings are perfectly free to travelupon the tracks, but are limited in their travel on the door by theheads of the screws 22.

When the door B is slid within the casing A, a spring 23 at the rearedge of the door is brought under tension, and if the door is not lockedin its open position the spring when the door is released acts toautomatically close the door.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the hanging orset of a sliding door in a casing can be effected in a convenient andeconomic manner and that the door will move with a minimum of frictionand that the door may be readily taken out from its casing and asquickly replaced when desired.

The door is provided at one side of its bottom portion with a combinedguide and weather strip 24, the said guide-strip being secured to thedoor in any suitable or approved manner. The said guide strip is curveddownward, so as to engage with the outer edge of what may be termed theouter rib of the lower track and the continuation of said rib on thethreshold-strip O, and at the inner side of the door a plate 25 issecured, preferably in an adjustable manner, having a movement upwardand downward, and this plate 25 carries a strip 26, adapted to keep outwind and dust. This adjustment of the plate 25 may be obtained, as shownin Fig. 2, in which screws are illustrated as passing through slots inthe plate into the door. The said protection-strip 26 in the closedposition of the door is adapted to extend down into the recess 15,formed in the inner longitudinal edge of the said threshold-strip, as isshown in Fig. 2. As the protection-strip 26 is attached to the plate 25and the plate is adjustable upon the door, the protection-strip may beadjusted downward to compensate for wear.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated the application of my invention to acar or barn door supported from overhead, in which views B representsthe door, which is of thehanger type. The track 28 is of an inverted- U-shape pattern and is constructed practically the same as the bottomtrack 0, heretofore described. The vertical sides of the track 28represent the longitudinal ribs 10 and 11 of the track 0; but the innervertical member of the track 28 is higher than the outer member, as isshown in Fig. 4, and in this inner member of the track a longitudinalslot 30 is made. At the upper end of the said track member aninwardly-extending longitudinal flange 36is produced and the central orbearing surface of the track 28 is preferably fiat instead of beingconcaved, although said section may be concaved, if desired.

A catch-strip 31 is held to travel in the track 28, having a dovetailgroove 32 in its under surface in which grooves balls 33 are looselymounted, adapted to travel on the central or bearing surface of thetrack 28, as is shown in Fig. 4.

Opposing hangers 34 are secured to the door B at desired intervalsapart, and bolts 35 are passed through opposing hangers, which latterextend up to the top of the cap-strip 31, the inner hangers beingcarried up to an engagement with the flange 36 of the track 28, as isalso shown in Fig. 4, for the purpose of better guiding the door. Thebolts 35 extend through the slots 30, and therefore assist also inguiding the door in addition to their prime function of connecting thecap-strip with the door. The balls 33 are held in divisions in thecap-strip 31, which divisions are formed in the same manner as has beendescribed with reference to the divisions in the corresponding top andbottom strips 16 and 17, heretofore alluded to.

The overhead supported door Bis provided withv a hood 37, secured,preferably, to the track 28, which hood extends over the top of the doorand downward at the front to prevent rain, hail, or snow from reachingthe track 28 and the ball bearings operating thereon.

The strip 24, curved downward, as shown, constitutes a guide and aweather strip and is preferably applied to the door as is shown in Fig.2, in which it will be observed that the upper edge of the strip isslipped in a shallow saw-cut in the bottom of the door, and said out maybe made either in the bottom of the door proper or in the bottomdoorstrip 17 and by this means of fastening water cannot run in behindthe weather-strip.

The adjustable plate 25 and its attached protection-strip 26, which maybe made of metal, cloth, or felt, is for the inside of the door and isfor the purpose of keeping out wind and dust and may be adapted toinside doors as well as the inside of outside doors and will do awaywith thresholds for inside doors and provide for keeping out air anddust and prevents air or dust from passing from one room to another.This strip can be raised to permit air to pass under the door insummer-time and can be closed down in the winter-time.

Having thus described my invention, I

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claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A door, a stripfor a horizontal edge of the door, which strip has a groove in its outerface extending from end to end, being contracted at its upper portion,ball-bearings located in the said groove, extending out through thecontracted portion thereof, and fastening devices passed through thesaid strip into the door, between adjacent ballbearings and projectingbeyond the bottom ofthe groove in the said strip, whereby theball-bearings are limited in their movement with respect to the door,and the means for restricting the movement of the ball-bearings areutilized to connect to the door the strip carrying the ball-bearings.

2. A track for sliding doors having longi-r tudinal side ribs, a centralbearing-section, and gutters between the side ribs and the centralbearing-section, substantially as described.

3. A track for sliding doors, having longitudinal side ribs, a centralconcaved bearingsection, gutters between the ribs and thebearing-section, and a threshold-strip continuous with the track,provided with a longitudinal rib at one side, a central bearingsectionand a longitudinal recess at the opposing side, substantiallyasdescribed.

4:. The combination with a door-casing and a track carried thereby, of adoor provided with a cap-strip connected thereto at one end, saidcap-strip having a dovetail groove and balls loosely mounted in saidgroove, adapted to extend out through the reduced portion of the grooveand engage with the said track, and obstructive devices in the groove,between which devices the balls are located, said obstructive devicesbeing carried through the cap-strip and into the door, serving not onlyto limit the movement of the balls but also to secure the capstrip tothe door.

5. In a door and hangers therefor, the combination with a track havingupwardly-extending side ribs, a central longitudinal bearing-section andgutters between the bearingsection and ribs, of a door having a dovetailgroove in one end, obstructive devices located in the said dovetailgroove, and balls located between the obstructive devices, which ballsextend out through the contracted portion of the groove and engage withthe central bearing-section of the track, substantially as described.

6. The combination with adoor-casing provided with an upper inverted- Ushaped track, a lower track and a threshold-strip continuous with thelower track, the lower track being provided with upwardly-extending sideribs, a central bearing-section and gutters between the bearing-sectionand ribs, the threshold-strip being provided with a centralbearing-section, a rib at one side and a recess at theopposite side, ofa door, strips attached to the top and bottom portions of a door, thesaid strips having longitudinal dovetail recesses produced therein,obstructive devices in said recesses, which obstructive devices extendthrough the said strips into the door, constituting fastening devicesfor the said strips, and balls located in the said dovetail recessesbetween the obstructive devices, which balls extend out from therecesses to a bearing against the track and the threshold-strip, asdescribed.

7. The combination with a door-casing provided withan upper inverted- Ushaped track, a lower track and a threshold-strip continuous with thelower track, the upper track being provided with upwardly-extending sideribs, a central bearing-section and gutters between the bearing-sectionand ribs, the threshold-strip being provided with a centralbearing-section, a rib at one side and a recess at the opposite side, ofa door, strips attached to the top and bottom portions of the door, thesaid strips having longitudinal dovetail recesses produced therein,obstructive devices located in the said recesses, which obstructivedevices extend through the strips into the door, constituting fasteningdevices for the said strips, and balls located in said dovetailrecesses, extending out therefrom to a bearing against the said trackand threshold-strip, a weather-strip attached to the door at its bottomportion, being in engagement with the rib on the lower track, acorresponding rib on the threshold-strip, and an adj ustable protectivestrip located at the opposite side of the door, and adapted in theclosed position of the door to enter the recessed portion of the saidthreshold-strip, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES K. THOMA.

Witnesses:

HARRIS L. OooKE, JESSIE M. BRANNING.

